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Category: Spain

Solera You may have encountered this word before. If you drink Sherry or Spanish Brandy, you almost certainly have. But what does it mean? Let us first get some possible confusion out of the way. “Solera” is not to be confused with “Solaris”, which is both 1: a disease-resistant grape variety first created in Freiburg […]

Utiel-Requena: Bobal Steps out of the Shadow of Bulk Wine The scene: southeast Spain, near to the Mediterranean A scant 70 kilometres (as the crow flies) from the heaving beaches and ancient attractions of València lies the comparatively quiet hinterland home of Utiel-Requena, one of Spain’s Denominación de Origen (DO) wine areas. You may not […]

2 Pájaros 2012, 14.5% abv – DO Montsant – Celler de Capçanes Now we have reached the last instalment of the four Carignan Heroes from my post about this underestimated grape variety. The second of two glorious wines from the DO Montsant in Spain – this one without a suggested musical pairing, unfortunately. Feel free to […]

Carinyena 2012, 14.5% abv – DO Montsant – Coca i Fitó Ah, now we’re talking! Here is a truly worthy Spanish Carignan coming from the DO Montsant, home to some of the oldest vines of the variety to be found in the country. As I mentioned in my post on Carignan, Priorat and Montsant share a […]

Carignan, the blight of the south…or not? Come closer, friend…I would like to talk with you about a vilified grape known as Carignan. Or Cariñena. Carignane. Carignano. Or Samsó…well, sometimes. Sometimes Samsó is actually Cinsault (a grape probably best-known in Provence, particularly in rosés). Apparently, according to the seminal reference Wine Grapes (Harding, Robinson and […]

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SnarkyWine is Kevin Gagnon

Classical singer. Wine nerd.
Lover of indigenous grapes.
DipWSET and the first Canadian awarded the title of Weinakademiker.
VIA Italian Wine Ambassador.
Never met a wine region he didn't like.